


Eyes I Dare Not Meet in Dreams

by zebraljb



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Bedside Vigils, Coma, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22688137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: Harry's in a coma.  Eggsy is by his side and not moving.  Eggsy and Merlin exchange stories about Harry...and then Harry wakes up.
Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 130





	Eyes I Dare Not Meet in Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Teen & Up rating for language only.
> 
> Title from the poem "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot

“Lad, what are ye doing here? It is half-one!” 

Eggsy can hear the astonishment in Merlin’s voice but he doesn’t turn around. He stays where he is, holding Harry’s hand in his own and gently stroking the firm knuckles. “Could ask you the same thing, bruv.”

“I am Merlin. I need not give an explanation.” Merlin picks up the other chair and brings it close to the bed. 

“Oi, miss me with that shite, bruv.” Eggsy gives him a strained smile. “Like I was going anywhere else but here.”

“Ye know I will contact ye if his condition changes.”

“Yeah, I know,” Eggsy says simply. “Good here, thanks.” He sighs and continues to stroke Harry’s hand. “Fucking idiot. Spends his whole adult life at Kingsman, diving head-first into danger on a regular basis, and THIS is what lands him here?”

“Harry is a big fan of the theatrical, ye know this.” Merlin smiles fondly. “I dinnae know if ye know the poem ‘The Hollow Men’ by T.S. Eliot. It ends with the phrase, “This is how the world ends…not with a bang but with a whimper.” If Harry had a choice there was always a great deal of bang, with very little whimper.”

“Don’t talk about him in the past tense,” Eggsy says almost savagely. “He’s fine. A little bump to the head, he’ll be fine.”

“Of course, lad.” Merlin clears his throat. “He would be pleased to know ye are so worried about him.”

“Course I’m worried about him. He was my mentor, and now he’s my best mate.” Eggsy clears his throat as well. It’s suddenly very dry.

“Is that all he is? Your mate?”

“All I can be, right?” Eggsy laughs nervously and gives Merlin a sideways glance. “Good looking bloke like him, brave and smart and posh, he’s probably got a line of women waiting somewhere.”

“Women AND men, but mostly men of late,” Merlin says. “And his eye has fallen on a specific man.”

Eggsy can’t let himself think about that. “Do you know that when I was little I used to dream about him?” He finally turns to face Merlin, still holding Harry’s hand. “I did. After he came to see us and gave Mum the medal. When I had a real bad day, like if kids were picking on me at school, or Dean was being a prick, or Daisy was sick or sommat, I would dream about Harry. He became a bit more faceless as I got older, memories fade and all, but I knew it was him.” Eggsy smiles faintly. “He’d always have something to say, like encouraging me. He told me that those kids didn’t matter cuz they weren’t my real friends. Or he’d say one day I’d be big enough to put Dean in his place…which ended up happening. Or he’d tell me I was the best big brother ever, and my love would be strong enough to make her well.” Eggsy gives a bit of a snort. “That weren’t exactly true, but I always woke up feeling better.” He sighs. “Strange thing is, once I got to know him? That was ALL stuff Harry woulda said in real life, yeah?”

“Absolutely…he has always been your biggest cheerleader, Eggsy.” Merlin sighs as well. “It is one of his best traits. He is definitely the most self-absorbed peacock I have ever met, but he would die for his friends. Once ye gain his friendship…it is the most steadfast thing ye will ever experience. He talked me out of leaving Kingsman, ye know.”

“Wot?” Eggsy stares at him. “You was gonna leave?”

“Aye. I did not pass the train test.”

“Ain’t no way you grassed…”

“Nae. I misspoke. I did not pass the part before that.” Merlin blushes. “I am demisexual…I cannae feel a physical attraction toward someone whom I dinnae have a connection with. The idea of seducing someone for the job? It made me physically ill, and I could nae even talk to the woman. I was packing my bags when the Merlin at the time came to me and asked me to become his trainee. I balked at the idea. I figured if I was nae good enough to be an agent, I was nae good enough for anything else, and they were just offering it to me out of pity. Harry came upon me as I was heading toward the train.” Merlin chuckles. “He actually took my suitcase and threw it down the corridor. He said that Merlin must have been mistaken, because it was quite obvious that I was the stupidest person on Kingsman property. I almost punched him.”

“Then what happened?” Eggsy asks eagerly, worry momentarily forgotten.

“He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. He then told me I was brilliant…the most brilliant man he’d ever met. He said the training process was obviously meant as my door into the job I was meant to have. That my place wasn’t as an agent…but as Merlin. And I was so bloody furious when he turned out to be right.”

“Always believed in me, too…even when I didn’t believe in myself.” Eggsy’s bottom lip trembles. “Was fucking terrified when I walked out of the station and there he was, calling me by name. Gorgeous bloke like that, in a perfect suit, knowing who I was? Didn’t figure it would end well for me. But he brought me here…gave me Kingsman.” He draws a shuddering breath. “We patched everything up after he came back, made our apologies, but I’m not sure I’ve ever thanked him.”

“Ye dinnae have to, lad. He knows,” Merlin promises. “He knows more about ye than ye think.”

“Does he know my heart?” Eggsy says and immediately winces. 

Merlin seems ready to speak but changes his mind. They sit in silence, listening to the whir of the machines, the beep of the monitors. “He will be quite furious that they bandaged his head. He will whine that it hurts to remove it, that it pulls his hair.” Merlin actually laughs out loud. “Do ye know he came THIS close to shaving his head?”

“No!” Eggsy says, both delighted and horrified.

“Some of the bastards in our training group liked to take the piss with me, and it wasn’t always in a friendly way.”

“I know all about that,” Eggsy mutters.

“They switched out my shampoo with something that caused my hair to fall out.”

“Fucking wankers!” Eggsy gasps.

“Aye…they got theirs.” Merlin smiles with satisfaction and Eggsy is afraid to ask. “At any rate, I decided to just shave it all off. It was thinning by then anyway. Harry, of course, made the entire thing sound like a lark…informed me that all I needed was a cat and I could audition to be the next Bond villain.” Eggsy laughs with delight. “He then said I couldn’t be the only one looking sinister, so he picked up the clippers and went in front of the mirror. I realized he was serious just in time and managed to save his curly mop.”

“Curls?” Eggsy asks with interest.

“Aye…when he’s not in a hospital bed and leaves the product off, you’ll see.”

“Bet he looks real handsome,” Eggsy says wistfully. “Course I always think he looks handsome.”

“Have ye told him of your feelings, lad?” Merlin asks gently.

“Nah…he don’t want the likes of me. Ain’t nowhere near good enough. Kid from the Estates who grew up sucking dick on Smith Street when I wasn’t picking pockets? Not right for him.” Eggsy frowns. “But I seriously wish I coulda given him some lessons, let him know what to look out for. Agent Galahad, survived a fucking bullet to the head, and what puts him in here? A fucking pickpocket. He’s literally survived explosions, and a kid shoving him against a brick wall was enough to take him down. I shoulda warned him, given him a hint what to look out for. And now he’s here, like this.” 

“It is nae your fault, Eggsy,” Merlin says. He reaches over and takes Eggsy’s hand. “These things happen.”

“Well, they shouldn’t happen. Not to him. Ain’t he been through enough?” Eggsy reaches up and ever so gently touches the scarred skin on the left side of Harry’s face. 

Merlin stands up and stretches. “I’m going home for the night. There is nothing I can do here. Ye should do the same.”

“Nope, I’m good.” Eggsy sits back down in his chair and takes Harry’s hand. “Just gonna hang out with Harry.”

Merlin surprises Eggsy by leaning down to kiss his forehead. “He is lucky to have ye, Eggsy…and he’ll realize it. Perhaps sooner than ye think.”

Eggsy spends the next hour talking to Harry. Well, babbling to Harry, really. He’s tired and his body begs for his bed, but he’s not leaving Harry’s side. He tells Harry stories about growing up, about his first gymnastics gold medal, about the day Daisy was born. He even tells Harry about the day he told his mother about his sexual preference.

“She was a bit shocked, Harry, as you can imagine. Figured I’d be just like all the other teenage boys. But then she seen that I was serious, and she frowned. She got all teary and I felt fucking HORRIBLE. But then she hugged me and said she was proud to be my mum, and that she hoped I’d find a man to love me like I deserved. Said I needed to be careful, cuz my heart is bigger than most and I tend to wear it on my sleeve. I know I do around you. Might be more subtle for me to take out a billboard somewhere…know I moon over you something fierce. You’re the guv for letting me follow you around like a fucking puppy. I just…I like being near you.” Eggsy closes his eyes and rubs at his forehead.

“I like being near you as well, my boy.”

“Aw, Harry, that’s sweet, but you don’t gotta…” Eggsy’s eyes fly open. “Harry?”

“My head hurts,” Harry grumbles. He slowly reaches up and touches his head. “Fucking hell…they wrapped it! My hair!”

Eggsy laughs through tears he didn’t realize were falling. “Think your hair’s gonna be the least of your problems for a bit, mate.” He grabs Harry’s hand and actually kisses it.

Harry slowly turns his head and looks at the clock on the wall. “Eggsy…is that…is that almost three in the morning? Whatever are you doing here?”

“Keeping you company,” Eggsy says. “Couldn’t have you waking up all alone. I’ll call the nurse.” Eggsy reaches for the button.

“Wait.” Harry takes Eggsy’s hand. “I heard you…well, I heard some of it. You moon over me?”

“Uh…” Eggsy turns red.

“That is quite interesting, since I know I’ve been finding ridiculous excuses to be around you any chance I can get.”

“Wot?” Eggsy whispers.

“My dearest Eggsy…have you not noticed how fond I am of you?”

“Well, I figured we’re mates and…”

“We are…but in my heart of hearts I’ve always thought of you as so much more.” Harry brings Eggsy’s hand to his lips and kisses the palm. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Eggsy whispers.

“Well, I feel the only appropriate course of action is for us to have a nice long talk after I’m out of here…perhaps in a very intimate restaurant, over a nice bottle of wine.”

“Yeah, okay, sure,” Eggsy says, wondering how he’s wandered into one of his dreams.

“Excellent.” Harry kisses the palm again. “Now you may call the nurse.”

“After I tell you the way to recognize pickpockets, you idiot,” Eggsy says, but he doesn’t let go of Harry’s hand.


End file.
